Lock for hinged shoe-lasts.



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PATENT LOCK FoR HINCi-:D sHoEeLA's-s.;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Lettere Patent No. 638,297, dated December 5, Iseo;

Application filed March 18, 1899. Serial No. 709,574. (No model.)

To all whom it may 00h/cern.'

Be it known that I, FREDERICK OSCAR THOMPSON, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Brockton, county of Plymouth, and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locks for Hinged Shoe- Lasts, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to hinged or breakdown shoe-lasts. It is designed to hold a hinged shoe-last rigidly extended in its normal position While in use and'at the saine time to render it capable of being readily and instantly folded and shortened for the purpose of withdrawing it from or inserting it in the shoe without danger of breaking or crippling the shank or the upper of the shoe. I attain these objects by the device illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section showing the position of my device while the last is extended and in its normal position and locked, and Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section showing the position of my device When the last is unlocked and folded.

The drawings show an ordinary hinged or folding shoe-last consisting of a fore part A and a heel part A, transversely separated at or near the shank, hinged together at B, and having angularly-separatin g surfaces D and C on the fore and heel parts, respectively, above the hinge B and the usual j ack-spindle socket K in the heel-section.

The bolt E in the angular space between th separating-faces C and D of the heel and fore parts of the last constitutes the strut whereby the last is held extended. The strut E iits loosely at one end into the vertical slot or groove G in the separating-face C and bears against the plate I, which forms the inner wall of the slot G. The slot G constitutes a socket for holding the end of the bolt E. The other end of the strut or bolt E is provided with a shoulder H, which when the strut is in.

its lock position abuts against the washerplate or lip-plate J about the mouth of the recess F, the tenon e extending into the recess F. The plate I is provided with a ledge t' at its outer end, which engages the end of the strut o r bolt E when the latter is in its lo'ck 5o to the washer-plate J. Spring S performs the double oiiice of holding the end of the strut in its socket G and against plate I and forcing the last into its extended position. The plate I and Washer plate J serve as abutments which engage with the ends of the strut or bolt E when the last is extended andthe bolt is in Vits lock position. Another spiral spring S' is lodged in the pocket P, which is an extension of the slot or socket G and is attached at its outer end to the bolt E at a point between the points of engagement I and J. Spring S thus yieldingly holds the strut in engagement at both ends when the last is extended.

F is a recess in the fore part of the last for receiving the strut E, having its mouth in the separatingesurface D of the fore part. When the last is extended and the strut or bolt in the position shown in Fig. l, the last is rigidly locked and capable of withstanding any of the strains and pressures brought to bear upon it, the bolt preventing any pivotal motion of the sections.

The parts being constructed and arranged as shown, the operation of my improved lastlock is as follows: When it is desired to shorten the last by the displacement of the sections, as shown in Fig. 2, for the purpose of removing the last from a shoe, the operator merely has to press on the bolt E, overcoming the stress of the spring S', so that the shoulder II is thrown out of engagement with the washer-plate J. The heel part may then be folded up by a force sufficient to overcome the stress of spring S, bringing the surfaces C and D together, the bolt E disappearing into the recess F, while its opposite abutting end acting as a movable pivot slips in the groove or socket G. When relieved of the force required to break and fold the last,spring S pushes the two sections of the last into their extended position and at the same time pushes the bolt E out of the recess F. Spring S at the same time automatically throws the strut into its lock position, as shown in Fig. l, with its ends in engagement with the ledge t' and lip-plate J, respectively. In relasting a shoe- 1l. e., in reinsertingintoa shoe a last that has been previously withdrawn-the last is folded and shortened in the manner already described and the fore part is inserted in the corresponding part of the shoe, after which the heel-section is forced into its extended position, thus lengthening thev last in the shoe, whereuponthe spring S immediately throws the bolt E in its lock position. It will be seen that the automatic locking of the last is an important improvement in lasts of'this character over devices which require a separate motion to look the last.

It is obvious that the lock may be reversed and the recess be in the heel part and `the socket or slot for the pivot end of the strut in t'he'fore part of the last. I prefer to have the pivot end of the strut provided with two parallel faces to fit into the slot Gto prevent lthe strut from turning and also to have the tenon on the shoulder end of the strut rectangular and a rectangular mortise provided in the lipplate J for receiving the tenon. It is obvious, however, that the same objects would be attained by providing a mortise or notch in the upper side of the recess F near its mouth adapted to receive the end `of the strut with or without a shoulder and tenon. When the last is not in use, it is desirable that its parts should be in their extended position and rigid, as there is less likelihood of the parts of the last being broken or strained when the latter is moved about a factory than ywhen the parts are permitted loosely to swing upon each other. This obj ect is attained automatically and'without any attention on the part of the operator by the spring S, which throws the parts into their l'extended position, where they are automatically locked, as already described; but the chief function of spring S is to hold the pivot end of the bolt E in its socket and against plate I.

The chief advantages of the particular structure which I have described as an eme bodiment'of my invention are that it contains no articular parts or joints, thus rendering it less lexpensive and less likely to get out of order than a `structure containing articular parts -or joints. Moreover, the bolt can be readily removed from the last by the hand, when desired, by simply throwing it outof iits lock position and compressing the spring S. On the :other hand, it'cannot come out of the last unless taken ont; but the `most important feature of my invention is the arrangement of the partswhereby the bolt is automatically urged toward and held in its lock position.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Le,tters Patent, is-

l. A shoe-last comprising a Ifore part and a heel part hinged together, a bolt between the separatin g-faces of the fore part and heel part of the last, the bolt adapted to lock the sections of the last in extended position, and to a eaaev be moved from its lock position in response to the application of force, and means whereby the said bolt is normally urged toward and held in its lock position, substantially as described.

2. A shoe-last comprising a fore part and a heel part hinged together, a bolt between the separating-faces of the fore part and heelpart of the last, the bolt adapted to lock the sections of the last in extended position, and to be moved from its lock position in response to the application of force, and means wherebythe said bolt is normal-ly urged toward and held in its lock position, and means whereby the two parts of the last are normally urged into their extended position, substantially as described.

3. In a hinged shoe-last, the combination with the hinged fore and heel portions of the last, of a bolt located between and abutting against the 'fore-and `'heel `portions of the last, a spring normally urging the said lbol-t toward and holding it in its `lock position, the said bolt adapted to be kmoved from its lock lposition yby the application of force against the pressure of its spring, substantially as -described.

4f. In a hinged shoe-last, the combination with the hinged fore and heel portionsof the last, of a bolt located between land abutting against the fore and heel portion of the last, a spring normally urging the said bolt toward and holding it in its lock position, the said bolt adapted to be moved from its lock position by the .application of forceragainstlthe pressure of its spring-and means whereby the two parts of the last are normally urged into their extended posi-tion, substantially las descri-bed.

5. In a hinged shoe-last, .the combination with the hinged 'fore and heel parts :of the last of a rigid bolt, abutments in theseparating-surfaces of the lheel and fore parts ref spectively, normally in engagement with the said bolt, a recess in one of 'the hinged portions of the last proportioned and adapted to receive the bolt which is movable from its abutments into engagement 'with the recess, substantially as described.

6. `In a .hinged shoe-last, the combination with the hinged fore `and lheel parts of the last of a rigid bolt, abutments in the separating-surfaces of the heel and fore parts, re-

spectively, normally in engagement with the said bolt, a recess in one of the hinged portions of the last proportioned and adapted to receive the bolt which is movable from its abutments into engagement with the recess, means whereby the spreader is normally urged into engagement with its abutments, substantially as described.

7. Ina hinged `shoe-last, the combination with the hinged fore and heel parts of the last of Ia rigid bolt, .abutments in the separating-surfaces of the heel and fore parts, respectively, normally in engagement with the said bolt, a recess in one of the hinged por- IOO IZO

tions of the last proportioned and adapted to receive the bolt which is movable from its abutment-s into engagement with the recess, means whereby the bolt is normally urged into engagement With its abutments and means whereby the separating-surfaces of the last are normally urged apart, substantially as described.

8. In a hinged shoe-last, the combination With the hinged fore and heel parts of the last of a rigid bolt, a socket in one of the separating-faces of said parts in engagement with one end of the bolt, a recess in the other part of the last adapted to receive the bolt, a plate across the mouth of said recess normally in engagement With the other end of said bolt; means for urging the bolt toward and yieldingly holding it in its lock position, means for holding one end of the bolt in engagement With the socket, substantially as described.

`9. In a hinged shoe-last, the combination with the hinged fore and heel parts of the last, of a rigid bolt, a socket in one of the separating-faces of said parts in engagement With one end of the bolt, a recess in the other part of the last adapted to receive the bolt, a plate across the mouth of said recess normally in engagement With the other end of said bolt, means for urging the bolt toward and yieldingly holding it in its lock position, means for urging one end of the bolt into engagement with the socket and the last into its extended position, substantially as described.

10. In a hinged shoe-last, the combination with the hinged fore and heel parts of the last, of a rigid bolt, a vertical slot in one of the separating-faces of said last provided with a ledge at its outer end normally in engagement with one end of the bolt, a recess in the other part of the last adapted to receive the bolt, a plate across the mouth of said recess normally in engagement With the' other end of said bolt, means for urging one end of the bolt toward and holding it in said slot and at the saine time forcing the last into its extended position, means for urging the ends of the bolt toward and yieldingly holding them in engagement with said ledge and plate respectively, substantially as described.

Signed by meat Boston, Massachusetts, this 15th day of March, 1899.

FREDERICK OSCAR THOMPSON Witnesses:

PATRICK J. CANTWELL, E. F. GRoLL. 

